


Dress me up

by bookl0ver



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluff, M/M, Shopping, Sugar Daddy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookl0ver/pseuds/bookl0ver
Summary: Callum deserves the best in life, the prettiest and most expensive. And if it meant Ben had to drag him through a shopping centre, then so be it.Or, Ben takes Callum shopping.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 14
Kudos: 33





	Dress me up

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking!
> 
> Warnings: Swearing, innuendo, slight dirty talk, sugar daddy vibes. Let me know if you spot anything else that should be warned for! 
> 
> A huge shout out to Kitzombie who I brainstormed this idea with, they are a delight and a talent and I'm ever grateful of our discussions.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Ben you really don’t need to do this,” Callum insisted as Ben lead him into a posh clothes shop. Ben ignored him, grip on his hand simply tightening in response. Obediently Callum closed his mouth and followed, any arguments guaranteed to be unheeded. 

Ben marched straight in, familiar with the layout of the shop and knowing exactly what he was looking for. 

“Right babe, try on one of these,” He pressed a crisp button up into Callum’s hands, then flicked through the rack again. “And these colours will suit you.” 

Callum just stood with his arms out blankly as clothes were pushed into them, not even getting a chance to look at them properly before Ben was dragging him along and tossing more clothes onto the pile. “Ben, this is a lot, you don’t have to buy me-" 

“Callum,” Ben interrupted. He finally looked up at him and pressed a hand gently to Callum’s cheek. “I want to do this for you. Let me spoil you baby.”

Blush rising over his cheeks Callum nodded, leaning into Ben’s hand slightly. A pointed cough from the sales assistant had him straightening up and staring at the floor, Ben turning to glare at them. “Actually babe, let’s not bother with these, they’re shit anyway. Come on, we’ll go somewhere else.” He made direct eye contact with the haughty sales assistant as he took the clothes out of Callum’s arms and dropped them onto the floor. 

“Ben!” Callum protested, stooping to pick them up. The hand that grasped his wrist prevented him and he almost stumbled as he was pulled out of the shop, the loud tutting of the shop assistant following them. 

Ben was staunchly silent as he marched through the shopping centre, heading for another shop. Despite his longer legs Callum trailed behind him, feeling slightly guilty about the pile of clothes the sales assistant was now having to put away. Still there was no point in mentioning that to Ben, who’d say she deserved it for being a judgemental prick. Instead he remained silent, eyes bulging as he realised what shop they were going into. 

“Ben, Ben we can’t shop in there!” He protested, pulling against the hand on his wrist to make Ben stop. His boyfriend turned to face him, expression annoyed. 

“Why not?” 

Was he taking the piss? “It’s too expensive!” Callum exclaimed. “One shirt from there is worth a week’s rent. I – you – you can’t spend that much money on me. Let’s just go to Primark okay?” 

Ben’s frown melted and he pulled Callum close. “Babe,” He started, a hand gently holding Callum’s chin. “Listen to me. I have money, and I want to spend it on you. You deserve nice things, and frankly I can’t have my boyfriend looking a state can I?” 

Laughter bubbled out of Callum and Ben couldn’t not glide his fingers up to press them into the dips of his dimples. God he was cute. 

“You saying I look a state now?” Callum asked, halfway between genuine offence and amusement. 

Ben winked and turned on his heel, pulling Callum into the shop. The lack of response made Callum glance at his own clothes in confusion. Jumper from Asda, black jeans from Primark and his trainers off the market. What was wrong with that? 

Once more clothes were pushed into Callum’s arms. Not once was Callum’s opinion asked for on any of the items and he couldn’t deny the warmth spreading through him as he let Ben pick things out. Ben taking control and removing Callum’s choice made him feel secure and blissed out. 

“Come on babe, time for you to give me a show.” 

Callum blushed red as he was led to a fitting room in the back of the shop. Whist he’d known the shop was posh, it wasn’t until he entered the fitting room did he realise just how posh. It was huge, plush red carpets and fancy hooks adorning it. There was a full sofa in the corner, which Ben promptly plopped himself down in, and instead of a simple curtain there was a proper door. It looked more akin to a hotel room than a fitting room, all it was missing was a bed. 

“God Ben, you’ve given me the entire shop’s worth of clothes,” Callum said as he finally took notice of just how big the pile of clothes in his arms was. Ben simply raised an eyebrow at him and gestured to the hooks on the wall, where Callum began hanging the clothing by their hangers. 

“You realise this is gonna take ages, don’t you?” 

“I’m okay with that.” Ben responded with a smirk, looking Callum over. He slid his arms to stretch out along the back of the sofa and leaned back, the picture of comfort. “Now come on, get your kit off. I wanna see how fit you look in some decent clothes.” 

Callum rolled his eyes but obediently pulled his jumper over his head, placing it on the sofa next to Ben, then grabbed one of the shirts from the hooks. 

“Oi, jeans off too.” 

“Why?” Callum glanced down at his legs, brain trying to work out what was so wrong with his jeans. Confusion and more than a bit of annoyance were starting to build. “What've you got against my clothes?” 

“Nothing babe, nothing.” Ben smiled at him softly, rising from the sofa to loop his arms around Callum’s neck. “Just... they’re cheap Cal, and I know you don’t care but I do. You deserve all the good, nice, expensive things in life. I don’t ever want to see you in cheap tat, not when you should be dressed in the best.” 

Without his consent a dopey smile crept onto Callum’s face and he wrapped his own arms around Ben’s waist. “You really think I’m worth all that?” He asked shyly, fingers fiddling with the back of Ben’s shirt. 

Somehow Ben softened even more, mournful and fond all at once. Mournful that someone so beautiful could have so little awareness of their own worth, their beauty and kindness that made them worthy of only the best this life could offer. Fond and falling deeper for him, this sweet, humble man who could have anyone he wanted but chose to be here with him. 

“I love you so much,” He whispered, struck by the emotion, shocked at its intensity. Quickly he shook his head, pressed a kiss to Callum’s lips and returned to the sofa. His boyfriend stared dazedly at him for a minute, pretty face enveloped by a tender smile and Ben had never felt so lucky. Still, they were here for a reason. 

“Come on then babe, still waiting for you to get your clothes off and try on all the pretty things I’m buying you.” 

Reminded of where they were and what they were doing, Callum nodded and began taking off his jeans. Ben watched with approving eyes. No matter in what context, Callum undressed or undressing was always a sight to behold. A sight only for me, that dark part of his mind whispered. 

Clothes were tried on, dark trousers and light shirts, comfy running gear and even a pair of running shoes. Callum hadn’t been aware this shop even did running clothes, assumed by the price of it that it was exclusively formal wear, but here he was trying on a pair of jogging bottoms so soft it felt like someone caressing his legs and a top and matching grey jacket that were light and comfy and trying not to let on just how nice they felt. He couldn’t deny the guilt at Ben splashing money on him, even though a part of him felt – thrilled wasn’t right, maybe warm? Warm, yeah – warm at the clear display of affection in Ben’s spending. He mused silently as he placed the running clothes in the purchase pile, ignorant of the way Ben watched him, observing every little crease of his forehead as he thought.

Ben knew what Callum was thinking but made no move to reassure him. He liked the way he made Callum feel, cared for and loved but also slightly on edge. It excited him, and he knew it excited Callum too. 

Finally Callum had tried on every single garment and was stood in only his underwear sweating in the middle of the room, thankful for the air-conditioning. “Nobody ever told me trying on clothes was such a work out,” He grumbled to Ben, who was sorting all of the clothes, mentally calculating the total cost of this trip. Slightly less than he’d expected overall, which was good, in a way. It would make Callum feel less guilty. 

“Ben are you listening to me?” Callum asked, his boyfriend finally glancing back up to his eyes. He pulled a face, causing Callum to roll his eyes with a laugh. “What am I, a doll or something? Dress me up, play with me and put me on display?” There was no heat in the words but Ben’s brain had hooked onto the idea anyway. 

“You could be my doll if you want,” He said, quickly hanging the clothes on the hooks in their keep and discard piles and standing in front of his boyfriend again. Red painted Callum’s cheeks and ears even brighter as he blushed, melting under Ben’s hands as they grabbed his exposed hips. “Dress you up, make you look nice and pretty, show you off, make everyone jealous and then take you home, keep you where only I can play with you. Sounds good to me baby.” 

Callum’s eyes had slipped closed and from the way he was breathing slightly heavier and something was poking at Ben’s stomach he liked the idea. Idea safely filed away for further discussion in the future, he pulled Callum into a kiss that was far too dirty and heady for a public place, and handed him the jeans and jumper he’d been wearing. “Much as I’d love for you to be half naked all the time babe we are still in public. Don’t wanna be giving old ladies a thrill and sending them to their graves do we?” 

Laughter spilled from Callum’s lips as he struggled into his clothes, too hot and bothered from the last half an hour of trying on a thousand different things to slip into them easily. Finally he was dressed and he took hold of the pile of keep clothes, whilst Ben left the discarded ones on the hooks. 

As they stood at the till Callum felt a bubble of anxiety fizz in his stomach. This was probably expensive. Like, really expensive. His brain whirred with all of the things that could go wrong. Maybe Ben wouldn’t have enough money and it’d be completely humiliating – and not in the fun way. Or Ben might decide Callum wasn’t worth that amount of money, and what would happen then? 

“That’ll be one thousand two hundred and thirty five pounds please sir,” The girl behind the counter chirped, as she finally finished gently folding and bagging all of the clothes. 

The figure ran through Callum’s head. That was too much, way too much. He reached for Ben, to tell him to leave it, there was no way he had that much money, when Ben reached inside his jacket and pulled out a bundle of cash. 

Slack-jawed, Callum watched as his boyfriend peeled off fifty pound note after fifty pound note, making the full total and still having loads left in the bundle. The girl behind the counter looked blasé about the whole thing, clearly used to it, but Callum’s mind had short circuited. Before he could think of anything to say Ben was pressing the bag handles into his hands and turning to leave. 

In silence they walked back to their car, Callum now having enough new clothes to fill his wardrobe and probably another one too. 

“Where did all that money come from?” He asked when they were finally sat in the car. He already knew the answer but he wanted to hear it directly from Ben. 

“You know where babe,” Ben replied, steadfastly concentrated on driving. “And don’t you dare pretend it doesn’t make you hot, thinking of going out in posh clothes bought with dirty money, because we both know it does.” 

Well, he wasn’t wrong. For all his moral protesting and appealing to Ben to go straight , Callum absolutely loved the fact that his boyfriend was a bit dodgy. The black eyes and split lips, the pent up aggression he often came home with, and even the money that Callum turned a blind eye to – pretended it was from a good sale at the car lot or a generous tip at the Arches – made his heart race and blood sing with delight and excitement. 

“You’re not gonna get caught are you?” He asked instead, because that really was what he worried about. Ben going back to prison. 

One hand left the steering wheel to rest on Callum’s knee, thumb moving soothingly. “No baby, I’m not. I’m always careful, I wouldn’t do that to you, I promise.” 

Reassured Callum relaxed and they drove home in companionable silence. When they arrived, Ben ushered Callum into his bedroom, where Callum sat on the bed in growing horror as Ben took everything out of his wardrobe and dumped it into a bin bag. 

“What’re you doin’?” Callum sighed, knowing by the determined gleam in Ben’s eyes that he was not going to win this battle. 

“You’ve got all nice new clothes now babe and I know if I leave all your old ones here you’ll just keep wearing them. So, I’m taking them.” 

Callum nodded and helped Ben put the new clothes in the wardrobe. He couldn’t help but acknowledge that the new clothes felt a lot softer than his old ones, and when Ben insisted he get changed straight away – totally not to see him in his undies again, Ben swore, - they fit a lot better. The new jeans cupped him comfortably, the waistband sitting nicely, and the new t-shirt was soft and comfortable, the fabric not scratchy, no labels tickling the nape of his neck. He wouldn’t admit it to Ben, wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he was already enjoying the fancy clothes bought with dirty money, but being hugged by expensive fabrics from his boyfriend made him feel safe, made heat flare in his belly. 

“You can have your old clothes back in a week, if you really want them,” Ben said. They were finally finished and had put everything away. “Come on baby, I wanna show off my pretty boyfriend.” 

“I thought we were staying home tonight?” 

“We were, then I saw how fit you look in that outfit and realised even I’m not cruel enough to deny to the people of Walford the chance to look at you. Now come on, get your jacket on.” 

Obediently Callum slid on the brown leather jacket Ben had gotten him, then the new trainers that he knew were stamped with a logo that meant something. “Where are we going?” 

Ben laughed, kissing him hard for a moment and leaving him panting. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. Just follow me, yeah?” 

Fingers interlaced, they left the flat, chatting idly as they walked to Ben’s mystery destination. As they did Callum couldn’t help the feeling deep in his bones. A feeling of safety, security, love. On his boyfriend’s arm, not having to worry about anything, taken care of and spoiled. He’d never imagined he could feel like this, that he would ever be allowed to feel like this. So, as he felt the soft cotton of his new shirt breeze over his chest, his new jeans caressing his legs and shiny trainers cushioning every step, he decided that regardless of where the money came from, he would accept it. Because this was a part of Ben, these clothes and the dates, the dodgy deals and black eyes as much as the soft eyes in the mornings or innuendo laden conversations. They were how Ben showed his love, his affection and care. 

And even though he would never let on to Ben just how good being treated this way made him feel, he didn’t hide his grin or the joy in his voice. 

He loved Ben, complete and unwavering. And he would accept everything that came with his gorgeous man, from fancy clothes to false alibis. 

Because he loved him, exactly for who he is.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Full disclosure, I'm a massive fan of shopping cheap and don't really get the point of posh brands or paying loads for clothes, this whole thing is just Ben's personal perspective of it. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think, this is a bit of a different one for me. Comments and kudos are welcomed and appreciated. 
> 
> Have a great day!


End file.
